


The Ties that Binds Us

by saphiradrake



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood Magic, Dark Magic, Immortality, Kind of a slow burn, Multi, batfam
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-02-16 07:20:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18686767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saphiradrake/pseuds/saphiradrake
Summary: She swept into Wayne Manor like a summer storm, and she burned as brightly as the stars above. This is the story of how the bats came to love a devil in disguise, and how she burned for and with them.On Hiatus: until further notice





	1. To Alfred Pennyworth, Wayne Manor, Bristol, New Jersey

April twenty-sixth twenty-nineteen is the third time Alfred Pennyworth has ever sent a priority alpha distress code.

 

When Batman receives the signal his heart stops, and the immovable wall that stands between The Bat and Bruce Wayne buckles and the shatters in the space of a few heartbeats. The only other times Alfred has sent the distress code was in the instances of Damian and Jason's respective deaths. The last time he arrived at the coordinates of the signal he'd been left cradling his youngest sons body, with the press of a button the Justice League is summoned and the Bat is flying home to Gotham as quickly as the watchtower teleporter can carry him.

 

Dick Grayson recieves the signal in the haven and the plate he's carrying shatters against the floor, he's moving before his mind can catch up. He has nightwing's suit halfway up his body and a comm in his ear before his mind has done anything but scream in a constant loop, "not again, don't make me watch them fall again, I cant lose another little brother, not again, please god not again."

 

Barbara Gordon is in the clocktower orchestrating an op for the Birds of Prey when she gets the code, "manor priority alpha," her fingers fly over the keyboard to summon Cass, who's been dark for the past thirty six hours while she infiltrates a trafficking network. Then she's in the teleporter and plugging in the coordinates to the manor.

 

Tim Drake is on a surveillance op with the titans when the code comes in. "Titans I have a priority alpha distress code from Agent A, I need transport to the cave now." the sentence is barely out of his mouth before Kon has him and they're flying at top speed to the manor.

 

"The Titans will follow in the jet as soon as possible Red."

 

"Understood Superboy."

 

 

Damian Wayne is in Gotham Proper when the code comes in, his heart drops, he's read the logs, he knows the code has only been used twice before. Once when he died and Once when Alfred had discovered that Todd had run away to Africa. Both times the code meant there'd been a death in the family, he's running full tilt to r-point 27 which has a civillian motorcycle stashed in beat up garage with hidden titanium reinforcments. "I will be there for my family as they were there for me after I was killed and ressurected, they will not suffer alone."

 

Jason Todd recieves the beacon while off world with the Kori and Roy after a successful mission with the outlaws. There isn't a moments hesitation before he's calling for them both " I've gotta get back to the cave Alf sent a priority alpha distress code, and he doesnt even send that shit for succesful alien invasions, the last time he sent we all came home to him cleaning demon's body. Shit... Roy this is bad I mean this is call the JLA levels of bad, I got ta get back as in right now."

 

"First your gonna breath, then you me and Kori are going to fly home at mach fuckin eighty and get you back with the Gotham capes. Ok? Ok.... And Jay whatever happens, whatever happened, we're with you."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When the Bats call out it's usually for one of these three reasons, shit has gotten really real and the planet is facing imminent invasion, the apocalypse is nigh, or there's an extinction level event on the horizon and its time to pull together or die together. Okay so in all fairness those are all variations on the same theme but they are the usual reasons for the Bats and their associated stalkers of the night to call out, so really it shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone that when Batman called the Justice League 911 he also got half the Green Lantern Corps, The Birds of Prey, The Teen Titans, The Outlaws, and every member active or retired of the JLA that could fly, teleport, or speed to the cave when the signal went out. 

As one the amassed forces turned and faced The Batman, who simply growled out "sweep the house" and swept up the staircase with the JLA not far behind. Bruce found Alfred in the kitchen nook with a bottle of brandy, a teacup, and a letter clutched tightly in hand. "Bats check in I have found Agent A."

"NIghtwing checking in."

"Robin checking in."

"Hood checking in."

"Oracle checking in." 

"Red Robin checking in."

"Black Bat checking in."

 

"On our way to your signal, maintain position, Red out."

 

Bruce might never admit it but he breathed a heavy sigh of relief at hearing all their voices echoing in his ear.

 

The children he's raised, his children, fan out behind him, and if they're all pressed in close, well no one but the people in this room will ever know, and if his voice wavers as he asks "Alfred, old friend, what's happened? Are you hurt? Is there a threat?" well that will be a secret that never leaves the kitchen and the people in it as well. Alfred was unresponsive to the questions, Bruce could feel the fear and tension in his children rise. The silence that built following Alfred's lack of response was as thick as freshly fallen snow, as if all the sound in the world was muffled. 

"Bruce," if possible the silence in the room worsened after that one word, it became oppressive instead of merely heavy. Alfred never used their first names not unless someone was dying or dead, he held out the slightly crinkled letter and softly stated "Send everyone home, Clark and Diana may stay but this is a family matter and it will be treated as such." His tone was a command, an order that would be followed, or there would be hell to pay, that much was clear to everyone present.

"Clark, Diana, get everyone that isn't family out of the cave, we'll deal with this ourselves."

"Bruce?"

"Now Clark."

 

Alfred had gone quiet again, the only noise from the crinkle of paper as Bruce took and opened the letter. 

 

Alfred,

 

I write this letter in the hope that it will reach you before I do so that you may be prepared. This letter and the Boxes that have arrived with it are the only things that remain of my life. You once told me that I could always find my home with you and B if I wished to, I hope that is still true. I shall be blunt I am being hunted by all manner of being and I do not know if I will survive to see you again. My only desire is that should I die before I reach you, that you will have the last surviving pieces of myself and Ekaterina. Try and prepare B for my arrival I doubt he will be pleased to see me under the circumstances. Contact Jason Blood and John Constantine, they will be necessary before this is through. Keep our family close they are in danger and there is little I can do until my arrival.

Elizabet Antonina Volkova, Regina.

 

Jason watched B get progressively paler as he read and how he clenched the letter as fiercely as if it were the jokers neck, if that wasn't a sign of impending doom he'd eat his helmet.

Bruce jerked the arm holding the letter to his side, the hand grasping the letter clenched into a fist, crumpling the paper.

 

"Bruce... who is Elizabet Volkova? and why is she calling us her family?"

 

Trust Tim to have been reading over B's shoulder, or perhaps more accurately considering Tim's petite frame around B's arm. Still it was a good question, one that deserved an answer, except for the fact that for the first time since Jason was robin B looked nervous, frightened even, and he kept glancing at Alfred with the sort of panicked expectation he usually reserved for when one of them was badly hurt. That alone was enough to make anyone nervous, add that to the fact that Alfred had barely spoken since they'd arrived save to tell B to read the letter... well who could blame him for feeling jumpy.

Everyone startled when the brandy bottle clinked against the teacup in Alfred's hand.

 

"Elizabet Antonina Volkova is my granddaughter."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the purposes of this fic the ages of the characters are as follows:
> 
> Alfred Pennyworth: unknown  
> Bruce Wayne; 44  
> Barbara Gordon; 33  
> Dick Grayson; 31  
> Jason Todd; 27  
> Cassandra Cain;26  
> Tim Drake; 24  
> Damian Wayne; 18  
> Roy Harper; 30  
> Koriand'r; 29  
> Elizaveta (Elizabet); unknown
> 
>  
> 
> This chapter is the setup for the whole fic so i know it's really short but it's just supposed to set the stage for the story line. The next chapter will be up tomorrow.


	2. Explanations Cause More Questions

The room stood frozen, as if time had ceased to exist within the walls of the kitchen, Alfred's ice cold statement "she's my granddaughter." had shaken the room to its core. None of them had ever really wondered about Alfred's life before he came to the manor, he had seemed eternal, integral to the very structure of the manor, and now... well, now everyone was left to wonder what other secrets lay beneath his surface. Beneath the tension there was a layer of hurt, and a frission of fear, after all they were Alfred's family but this woman, this Elizabet was his blood, would he leave them if she asked him to, or would he stay?

 

Dick was the first to speak after that little earth shattering announcement, "Why didn't you ever tell us you had family?" "other than us" was left unsaid but it reverberated through the room all the same.

 

Alfred's didn't respond for a moment, the normally unshakeable man pausing to asses how to phrase the truth delicately enough not to hurt the children he'd raised, his son and grandchildren, how to explain without shattering their trust. "I was married for a time when I was a very young man, to a beautiful Russian girl, Tatiana Malikova, one day I came home and she was gone as were all her things, I searched for months trying to find her but eventually I gave up. I didn't know she was pregnant when she left nor did I know of my daughter until one day a beautiful young women appeared on the doorstep of my home holding an infant in her arms.

She was exceedingly blunt, she said I am your daughter Catherine Malikova this is your granddaughter Elizaveta Antonina Volkova, may we come in? Her mother had told her I was dead, that I was a dangerous man with dangerous enemies, that they were better off far from where I lived, but Catherine was the blood of old magic, it runs in my veins and it ran in her mothers, and she knew that her mother had lied. So after Tatiana's death Catherine came to find me with her newborn daughter, to meet the family she had never known. She stayed with me for a time before returning to her husband, she loved him dearly but he was not a good man, they were a contrast in every way Catherine was the light and he the darkness. When Elizabet was seven her mother brought her to see me but during their travels some of her husband Dimitri's enemies found them, they murdered Catherine and blinded Elizabet.

Elizabet's father was fiercely devoted to protecting her and I did not see her from the time of the funeral until she was nearly sixteen. She came to find me in much the same way as her mother had, she appeared on my doorstep at three in the morning, soaking wet and pounding on the door with the fervor of a thousand  burning suns. Nevertheless when I answered the door she drew herself up to her full height and with an air of cool regality stated I am Elizaveta Antonina Volkova, I am your granddaughter, you will let me in. And that was that, I raised her, not that there was much left to do on that front and now she is coming back to us. Whatever that letter implied if she is running to us, to this house, then something is very very wrong."

 

The room had been as silent as a grave until Alfred had finished speaking, rather surprisingly Clark was the next to speak.

"I've dealt with her before, she's immensely powerful Alfred I'm sure she'll make it to the house safely."

 

There was a collective pause at the way Clark had phrased that statement, "dealt with," it wasn't how Clark or Superman typically talked about people, he usually used phrasing liked worked with or met or if he didn't particularly like someone he would say he'd made their acquaintance. "Dealt with" was usually reserved for Luthor when Luthor was in a less psychopathic mood and was interested in not allowing mass casualties, or natural disasters to occur. So the question now was what kind of woman, who also happened to be Alfred's only blood relation, had earned that kind of verbiage from Superman?

 "Why does she think that Father needs to be prepped for her arrival and why would we need to summon Jason Blood and John Constantine." it's a remarkably civil question coming from Damian it also had the most tactical value, which was why Damian had chosen it. 

"Because Master Damian they posses rather different sets of morals and beliefs and both live in a way which allows them to levy their respective moralities at the people around them. It is exceptionally rare that they agree on anything and they did not part under the most amicable circumstances upon their last meeting."

"Tt I see..."

As a unit the batclan turned to Bruce for an explanation, it was about as productive as demanding an explanation from a particularly inexpressive stone wall would be, which is an endeavor that is in a word, pointless.

However with everyone in the room staring him down Bruce does at least manage to grind out enough words to form a sentence, it is clearly against his will but nevertheless it is an explanation. "Elizabet is family, we will protect her. She is like a sister to me (there was a notably pained expression on B's face at being forced to admit to that.) you will treat her with respect and we will do as she has asked and summon Blood and Constantine." 

"I've already taken the liberty of doing so Master Wayne."

"Very well, I suggest we all get some sleep as Elizabet will undoubtedly arrive when we least expect her and I at least would like to be well rested before I face her. Clark, Diana thank you for staying but I think it is time you both returned home." And with that Bruce swept from the kitchen.

"Well, I guess that's as much as were getting out of him tonight, Diana and I will leave but do not hesitate to call us back should you need us, we will come." Diana was looking unusually mutinous in ways that implied lassos and hogtying would be involved if Bruce didn't start cooperating but Clark simply took her by the shoulder and began to steer her from the kitchen rather forcibly. He managed to get her about half way across the kitchen before she dug her heels in and pivoted to face Alfred. 

"She is a fearsome warrior and if you find the forces pursuing her are to great Themiscyra will gladly welcome her." and with that Diana pivoted around and began moving at a clip that even Clark struggled to keep up with.

 

Alfred rose from the kitchen nook for the first time that evening "I must agree with Master Bruce, Elizabet takes a rather appalling amount of pleasure in keeping him off balance and if its within the realm of her capabilities she will arrive at a time that causes the most inconvenience to him. I shall see you all in the morning" clearly reading the expressions on their faces as a million questions waiting to be asked Alfred cut them off at the pass. "I will answer any further questions at breakfast."

Dick, Babs, Jason, Cass, Tim, and Damian were left in the kitchen with the (completely delusional) hope that they would follow orders and go to bed. This was about as likely to happen as the joker and batman exchanging vows, but you can't blame a bat for hoping.

"So what do we do now" Dick asked

"Now we try and figure out what about Elizabet Volkova makes Clark talk about her like she's Luthor, Diana impressed enough to open Themiscyra to her, and B consider her his family." Tim had a look of pure determination while informing them of the game plan. "And preferably we'll manage to do that before she gets here and we have to do everything on the fly.

"Sister, He called her his sister Timmers, I don't think any amount of research is going to prepare us for a woman who makes Superman look nervous and uncomfortable, Wonder Woman look excited, and B look exposed."

"You think I don't know that Jason! but what the hell else are we supposed to do?! Go to bed and wait for her to appear out of the darkness?"

"Alfred said his blood was old magic, and Clark called her powerful, I think we should be more concerned with what kind of abilities she has." Cass had as usual picked up on the most notable aspects of that entire conversation, aspects the rest of them had ignored due to shock. "Bruce and Alfred were... hurt when thinking and talking about her, Clark was nervous, didn't want to upset B but he was worried.

"I'll go back to the clock tower in the morning and see what I can dig up on her, but if she's in the life the way Alfred implied then I don't know how much I'll find out. For now we should get some sleep before B comes downstairs again, agreed?"

"Fine Barbie."

"How many times have I told you, not to call me that Jay."

"Three hundred and forty-seven" 

"You kept count?" 

"I'm trying to get to an even thousand."

"Come on Babs stop arguing with the deranged lunatic and lets go to bed."

"Fine Dick. This does not mean were done discussing this Jay, or that you've won this round I just want to go to bed."

"Yeah, yeah." Jason shrugged her off before facing the rest of his remaining siblings. "Timbo, demon wing, favorite sister, see you at breakfast"

Cass slipped up the stairs beside him "I'm only sister, have to be your favorite."

"The only sister that we know of, B could always be hiding more orphans, it's like an addiction with him."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is shorter than originally intended the website ate half the chapter last night which is why it didn't get posted yesterday. Elizabet will be meeting the family in the next chapter (to be posted tomorrow) and it's going to be wild.


	3. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To everyone reading this thank you! Also I'm so sorry this took literal eons to write, I am a perfectionist and this is my first published work and tbh this is the hardest thing I've ever written. The amount of dialogue this chapter needed was insane and honestly getting everybody's characterizations right was a screaming nightmare. So I hope everyone who's reading this enjoys it!
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. Eliz is pronounced Eliss kind of a British twist on Alice

Breakfast had been served in their respective rooms as was lunch, it was not something often permitted in the manor but Alfred seemed to be making a concentrated effort to keep Bruce separate from his children. Dinner was a mostly silent affair, between Bruce refusing to answer any questions and Alfred looking like he hadn't slept in a week. No one felt much like making demands when the two people who were typically the most composed and emotionally controlled members of the family appeared to be balancing on the edge of a knife when it came to their emotional and mental control.

They'd just started the third course of dinner, (Alfred occasionally reverted to extending mealtimes with multiple courses when he wanted to keep everyone together, tonight's menu consisted of seven courses) when the doorbell rang. 

Everyone startled, the doorbell never rang unless there was a gala, or if there was an interview scheduled, and this was neither. Bruce actually shattered the glass he had been holding before lurching to his feet and moving towards the door, he pivoted towards his children before reaching the French doors that led to the hall so quickly that the amassed horde all slammed into both him and each other. 

"You will all stay here until Alfred or I call for you."

"You can't just keep us locked in the dining room Bruce."

"I can and I will Dick, stay here and do not come until I call for you." With that Bruce turned and slipped through the doors shutting them firmly behind him.

"This is ridiculous, we are not children and I will not be treated as such."

"Chill with the contempt demon brat, he wants to wait to introduce us fine we'll wait outside the parlor that Alf has undoubtedly placed her in and eavesdrop."

"For once I agree with Jason."

"Thanks Barbie."

"Don't call me that."

"Jason. Babs. We don't have time for the petty bickering lets go." Tim didn't give either the time to respond before he was advancing through the doors.

They all hovered outside the doors to the blue parlor, it was Bruce's preferred room to interrogate family members in and as such saw the most use.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Bruce entered the parlor to find Elizabet standing at the large windows overlooking the lake on the far side of the estate. He noted that the moonlight pouring through the window wreathed her body in a silvery glow, and that she was supporting most of her weight with the left side of her body but that she looked altogether relaxed with her head lightly tilted towards the sky. 

"When I was young I always loved the way the light of the moon rippled off the lake, I never feel more at peace than when I'm surrounded by water beneath a full moon. Does it still glimmer as beautifully as it used to B?

"It does."

"I see age has increased neither your vocabulary nor your linguistic capabilities, but I suppose I'm not really surprised."

"It's good to see you too Elizabet."

"Your children are lurking outside the door."

"Yes I suppose hoping that they would actually wait in the dining room was a bit unrealistic."

"Clearly, well, are you going to introduce me to them or not?"

"I suppose it is unavoidable."

"Quite."

" As you say. You can all come in now."

Damian strode through the door first, quickly followed by Jason and Tim, with Cass, Dick, and Babs bringing up the rear. They fell into standard formation behind Bruce, which in this case amounted to a tight semi-circle. Bruce (in his endless pursuit of dramatic entrances) had not turned on the lights when he entered the room, so with Elizabet still facing the window all they could tell about her appearance was that she was reasonably tall, and slim with neatly bobbed dark hair. But when she turned around to face them that was when she truly made an impression, she was 5'6, 5'7 at most, her bodies defined musculature apparent from both the way she was dressed and her stance, her skin a soft porcelain, cheekbones sitting high and proud, her jawline was defined almost to the point of being squared but still retained her femininity, her eyes were ever so subtly downturned, but were a vibrant blend of teal and aquamarine. Her bobbed hair was a warm brown with natural dark gold-red highlights framing her face that accentuated both her cheekbones and jawline. In the moonlight that haloed her body she possessed an almost ethereal quality. 

"Elizabet this is-"

"I feel quite confident your children are capable of introducing themselves considering the man that raised them. My bags are in the foyer, do be a dear and take them up to my usual suite won't you B?" Make no mistake that sentence may have been phrased as a question but her tone was pure command. 

"I.... suppose that would be efficient."

"It would and besides I want to get to know our family." she angled her head to the right and tilted her chin up slightly as Bruce approached her, with a movement clearly born of habit he slid one large calloused hand around her lower back and lightly pulled her towards himself before brushing his lips against her cheek. As he pulled back from her the assembled bat-children stood rooted in place both by Bruce's action and the way in which her hand, pale, delicate and scarred lingered against his chest.

The moment between the two lasted mere seconds yet was scrutinized and absorbed down to the last minute detail by everyone in the room. As the French doors to the parlor clicked shut Elizabet turned to face the assembled gothamites.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dick was (to the shock of absolutely no one) the first to approach her, although his advance was somewhat lacking in his usual brand of enthusiasm. "I'm Dick... Grayson." Dick's smile began to lose some of its brilliance when she failed to take his outstretched hand.

However, after a moment she reached out both hands with the palms facing down "You'll have to forgive my inability to shake your hand, I'm blind as a bat." there was a noticeably loud thump from the hall way, as if several bags had been dropped from a truly impressive height. Suddenly her hands whipped up to cover her mouth in a moment of clear recognition at what she'd just said. "Oh, oh God" and that was clearly what laughter and pure amusement sounded like in her voice. "Oh forgive me I'd forgotten whose home I was in, well as they say, old habits die hard. I am Elizabet Antonina Volkova, but you may call me what you find most comfortable. I am so very pleased to meet you again Dick Grayson." At that Dick slid his hands beneath hers, brushing his fingertips against her palms. She took the opportunity to slide her hands over his and lightly grip his forearms in order to lean up and delicately press soft kisses to each of his cheeks. 

Before anyone had time to ask the obvious question, 'what do you mean its nice to meet Dick _Again_?' Elizabet released his forearms and pivoted towards the French doors to call out loudly and with a rather alarming amount of command for someone addressing Batman "Oh do stop lurking in the hallway you great overgrown bat. And don't even think about using those directional mics I know you placed when you came stalking into the parlor, unless of course you want the intimate and sexually explicit details of my involvement with Lex Luthor and Mercy Graves. But I do think that would be traumatic for everyone except me so for the sake of your children's sanity I do suggest you cease both your hovering and your eavesdropping on our conversations." No one was quite sure what to say in the face of that threat but Bruce could clearly be heard rapidly tromping up the stairwell in order to neutralize said threat.

Elizabet was smirking in a manner that managed to imply an exceedingly visceral pleasure in making Bruce uncomfortable enough to flee from her in his own home, when she turned back to her now captivated and horrified audience with a wink. Her smirk turned into a very demure little smile that could almost convince you that the past three minutes hadn't actually happened. Almost.

Surprisingly Damian was the one to ask the question on absolutely everyone's minds. "Have you actually slept with Luthor?"

"Oh not in ages little one, but he is very, very good in bed, I'd absolutely recommend the experience if anyone was... curious."

"Well that's... that I guess." Barbara approached Elizabet with confidence, "I'm Barbara Gordon."

"Elizabet Volkova." she extended her arms as she had for dick and Barbara grasped them strongly. She leaned in and brushed the same delicate kisses against Babs cheekbones as she had Dick's. Thankfully unlike Dick's kisses there was no horrifying statement to accompany them.

Barbara eased back from Elizabet and stood next to Dick. 

Tim came next, his voice pure ice when he introduces himself, "Tim Drake." and that may have been the name he gave but there was no doubt that right now he was Red Robin, master assassin, minus the actually killing people part. It was equally clear that she could tell if that sharp little smile that flitted across her face was anything to go by. 

"Elizabet Antonina Volkova." she extended her arms to Tim, who took them with what appeared to be a considerable amount of strength, completely undeterred she leaned forward and pressed soft little kisses against his cheeks. Unlike with Dick and Babs she lingered with her lips near his left ear and murmured something softly enough that no one but Tim could catch. Hopefully the mics Bruce had left in the room did because whatever it was caused Tim to stiffen noticeably and tighten his grip on her arms until his knuckles were starkly white.

It had to be hurting her, Jason thought but she's standing there, completely fucking serene, like Replacement isn't radiating the kind of energy that usually precedes slit throats.

Her laugh is warm as she releases Tim's arms and leans back. Tim glides backwards apparently unwilling to take his eyes off her as he retreats, he doesn't truly ease back down to just Tim instead of Red Robin until his back is pressed to Dick's chest.

Damian stalks towards her with unfettered determination. "I am Damian al-Ghul - Wayne." 

Her Smile is as sharp as her tone "I am Elizabet Antonina Volkova., I am well aware of who you are, Iorsh Ischd." Damian stiffens at both the address and her tone. Still she extends her arms to him and brushes kisses against his cheeks before releasing him back to his brothers.

Cass is the next to greet her, she cuts a silent path towards Elizabet, and the room collectively startles when they realize Cass knows her. Cass, who so often abstains from touch (even with Dick which is nearly impossible.) threads her fingers into Elizabet's hair and slips her left arm around Elizabet's lower back to grip her left hip and jerk her into her own body before pressing a bruising kiss to Elizabet's lips.

Elizabet who is laughing into the frankly stunning assault on her mouth and hooking her arms around Cass's body gripping the back of Cass's neck and scraping her nails up and down Cass's spine while allowing her body to be manipulated into different positions as Cass sees fit. 

Cass who abruptly uses the hold she has on Elizabet's hair to jerk her head back and bite against her pulse point which elicits a gasping moan before releasing her as quickly and she'd taken her.

"I missed you too Cass."

"It will bruise."

"That pleases you."

"Yes."

Cass's matter of fact air of stating that earn a breathy laugh from Elizabet "I always enjoy your bruises most darling girl."

Cass tilts her head in the way that implies that she's asking why. Jason's about to voice that question for her but Elizabet's already responding when he starts to.

"Because you mean them as a claim, and I adore being openly claimed by the people I love. Because the bruises and scars you give me are all the words you need never say. Because when you mark me those are your words and our voices intertwined in ecstasy and there is more beauty in that than in a thousand words."

Cass is nearly purring by the time Elizabet is finished speaking and radiating pleasure and contentment, both exceptionally rare emotions for her to express so openly.

"Does that answer suit you dear one?"

"Yes." 

"Good." she turned away from where she had last heard Cass's voice and faced the rest of the family with a look of patient expectation.

Now or never "I'm Jason, Jason Todd." there was a moment when she turned to face him that their eyes met, despite knowing that she was blind, that she could stare directly into his eyes but never see him, despite knowing that Jason felt exposed. As if she was seeing everything inside him; the pain, the rage, the loneliness, the fear, but also the love and protective instinct he felt towards those he considered his, the absolute pleasure at seeing Cass so completely herself. For once he felt wholly himself, like he didn't have to fight the pit's influence, like the rage wasn't riding him just waiting for him to slip and lose control and let the demons in his head come out to play. Jason found himself coming to the rather bizarre realization that the feelings roiling in the pit of his stomach were acceptance, peace, safe. This woman, this mad impossible woman, who gave Bruce orders he actually followed, who was Alfred's only blood relative, who was all but radiating power and pleasure and mischief, she felt like coming home.

"I'm Elizabet, but you may call me Eliz Jason Todd." When she extended her hands to him and he slipped his beneath hers she allowed herself the luxury of lightly sliding her fingers over his palms and the wide expanse of forearm offered to her. When Jason took the same of her she allowed herself a small shiver of pleasure, and when his fingers encircled her forearms she suddenly felt delicate, precious, his hands were, warm, calloused, and scarred and..... oh, oh, she could feel every inch of the power he was being so careful not to utilize lest he hurt her. That power made her want to go weak at the knees, to curl into his warmth and his darkness, that would be heaven. 

Unlike with the others, when she leaned up onto the balls of her feet to press soft kisses to both of his cheeks she allowed her lips to brush ever so delicately over his as she moved to kiss his left cheek before settling her weight back on her heels. The soft kisses she'd laid against his cheeks had left them both flushed.

 

It was of course at that inopportune moment that Bruce decided to reenter the room. His voice wasn't precisely sharp but neither was it particularly pleased, it was what Tim would have identified as one of his warning tones, "Elizabet." 

And just like that the moment shattered, she turned towards Bruce and out of Jason's arms. "Little one shall I assume you've put my bags in the usual suite?"

"You may." 

"And where is Gran-da?"

"In the kitchen cooking all your favorites and preparing a late tea for us all. You disrupted the last four courses of dinner."

"He's still pulling the old trick of adding excessive numbers of courses to meals when he wants to keep the family together I take it." 

"He is." 

"I've missed this house."

"And the people in it?" 

"Oh I could take or leave them." her words were harsh but her tone was lilting, teasing Bruce with the twinkle in her eye as she let him interpret that statement as he pleased.

"It's been to long."

"It has, but I'm afraid we'll have to wait to spar until I've fully recovered from my trip."

"As you say." Bruce had said those words a hundred times and yet this time was different there was an edge of amusement and expectation in the way that he'd said it.

She sunk into the deep arm chair nearest to her and fluttered her hands at them in a way that suggested they should all follow suit, and follow they did as if the furniture had compelled them to do so. "You have questions."

"I do."

"Then ask them."

The younger generation in the room had remained nearly silent since Bruce had arrived in the parlor and they'd all seated themselves. But at the open invitation they didn't so much speak as allow the tension and curiosity in the room to become nearly tangible.

"What happened." 'that you needed to come here' went unsaid but was heard nonetheless. 

"Papa died. Well I suppose more accurately he was murdered. I was out of options, I barely managed to get out with mine and maman's things, and I had to burn our house to the ground to do it. I have nowhere left but here Bruce. I am being hunted and this estate has some of the best supernatural protections in the world, as that is what I'm being hunted by it seemed the prudent choice.

"I'm sorry he-"

"You're not, you hated the man. In fact I feel quite certain in saying that the entirety of the  JLA and the JSA will be quietly relieved to hear that he died bloody. 

"I-" 

"He wasn't a good man Bruce, He was a killer and a monster and an absolute bastard, and gods know you and Gran-da had every right to hate the man and that means that I don't need you to be sorry he's dead."

"That's all quite true, but he was your father and you loved him in-spite of and sometimes because of those things and so while I am not sorry he's dead I am sorry you lost him.

"You know that was actually quite eloquent B, I'm almost impressed. You're of course correct that sometimes I loved him because of what he did, I suppose you'd feel that it's cheating to say that it's simply in my blood to enjoy such things. I did love him and he did love me." Elizabet held up a hand to prevent whatever statement Bruce had clearly been about to make. "I know that you never believed him capable of love and he wasn't, not in the ways humans quantify love. Not even in any of the ways you quantify love, but he gave me everything I ever wanted, everything I ever needed, and all of the things I didn't know I needed until he gave them to me. I will always love him for that.

Bruce stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I know you will, I'm sorry for the circumstance but I am glad you're here."

Eliz tilted her head until the point of her chin rested against B's hand. "I'm glad to be here with you as well B, it's been to long since I've been with family."

Tim chose that moment to speak up, "When you greeted Dick you said that it was nice to meet him _Again,_ so when exactly did you meet him the first time?"

"I did wonder which of you was going to question that particular detail, it was barely eight months after B had taken him in, he'd just had his ninth birthday if I recall and it was only perhaps the... third?"

"Fourth."

"Fourth time that he'd gone out as Robin when I got a frantic call in the middle of the night begging me to come to the manor at speed. When I arrived, well when I arrived I could here you screaming from outside the front door Dick. You'd been dosed with a brutal nerve agent blended with fear toxin, Bruce didn't have an antidote ready, it was a new strain and he couldn't leave your side long enough to synthesize one for fear you'd do actual damage to yourself, which is why he called me."

"I am a blood mage, at least by the loosest definition, I was able to draw the poisons from your body and re-write your memories. I left when I felt your mind start to wake, Bruce and Gran-da were much more suited to your needs at the time."

"I'm sure I would have liked you just as much as I do now."

That earned a tinkling laugh, "Oh you really wouldn't have Mister Grayson, I was covered in blood and in a blind rage, if Gran-da hadn't settled me with his own abilities I would have burned that ridiculous little straw man alive, he'd've been nothing but ash when I was through." Her smile as she informed them of what she'd desired to do to Crane was rather explicit and implied a great deal of desire to here him scream even now. "It was not the right time for you to meet me and I stand by that decision."

"Well I think that's quite enough for tonight, Master Wayne I shall suggest that we all get to bed and discuss whatever it is that will need to be done to deal with the creatures hunting you in the morning Elizabet."

At the sound of Alfred's voice Elizabet had risen from the chair she'd been reclined on so quickly that it actually screeched backwards several inches. "Gran-da! I've missed you."

"And I you little one, but we shall speak of all that has passed in the morning-"

"Alf," Jason's tone had a tinges of both hesitation and warning to it when he spoke, "I'd like to know how a girl how looks no more than twenty was able to get to the cave, on her own, to save Dick when she should have been, what? Five at most when he was first robin?"

It became eminently clear that no one else had caught that little detail and that Bruce and Alfred had clearly been hoping to avoid that particular conversation for the night.

"They don't know? You actually never told them?" now there was a hint of reproach in Elizabet's voice when she addressed B and Alfred. "How were you possibly going to explain why Gran-da just never gets sick, or hurt, or dies. How pray tell were you going to explain that to them." and now her tone was pure ice.

"The information had not become relevant as of yet."

"Not relevant my ass. How were you going to explain my abilities to them without any background information, without telling them what we are."

Bruce looked hesitant, and Elizabet looked thunderous, but then that could've simply been because all the shadows in the room seemed to have gathered around her. 

"You don't want to tell them? Fine. I will. I was able to save Dick because I am nearly twenty thousand years old, I've had a hundred different names; I've been Lilith, Helen, Isolde, and Boadicea, I've been Cleopatra, Hurrem, Catherine de Medici and Catherine the Great. The people of this world have called me, Lupa, Kali, Bellona, and Morrigan, I am the daughter of the king of hell and I'm not talking about that preppy little upstart lucifer. I've built and razed a hundred empires, I founded the league of assassins, I've burned civilizations to ash and laughed while they screamed and bled and begged for mercy that I would never give. I will not hide who I am from your children and if you value your continued sanity you  _will_ cease lying to them in some vain attempt to preserve their reality. Their reality is about to come crashing down around their ears. Greater demons from the pits of hell are chasing me and I am to old to warp their minds just to make you comfortable. Gran-da is even older than I am, that is the truth, that is reality and it is about damn time you faced it."

By the time Elizabet had finished that impassioned speech Bruce had sunk into a plush blue wingback chair with his head in his hands as she'd advanced toward him with nearly every word. She was looming over him and leaking the sort of power from every pore that made the room seem as though it was floating, her eyes glowed a deep red marbled with violet.

"Enough Elizabet." Alfred's tone was sharp enough that she startled and the room seemed to softly drift back down to its usual state of existence. Alfred's eyes were a glowing shade of electric blue as he spoke and they continued to glow as he stared her down.

Eliz seemed to come back to herself slowly and then all at once. She softly inclined her head to the right exposing a stretch of neck towards Alfred, "Forgive me Abba."

"Always little one."

Once both Alfred and Elizabet had eased down the room became (if possible) more tense. Bruce did manage to look up from his hands but his face and eyes showed every second of his age, something that so rarely happened. Bruce always seemed some variety of eternal. "You're right I should've-"

"No." the word was strong, firm, an indisputable statement of fact. "No there were better ways for me to do that than wrenching open your mind and forcing you to see." Eliz sunk to her knees in front of Bruce with barely a noise. She cradled his broad face between soft delicate hands. "Look at me little one, look at me and see." 

When Bruce finally did look up at her, her posture softened. "You've done what you thought was necessary to protect them from our enemies and from me."

"I never wanted to keep them from you."

"I know little one, I know." her voice and her face suddenly looked all the thousands of years of her age. "You feared I'd take them from you, but I never will, I never could, you are blood of my blood, bone of my bone. I will protect our family with all that I am, I swear it." 

Bruce met the statement with a nod and a hum before reaching up to brush his knuckles across her cheekbone.

Everyone was in enough shock due to the revelation that apparently their family was protected by immortals that no one argued particularly hard with Alfred's urgings that they all get some sleep. 

Bruce paused at the doors to the hall and turned to face the family trailing behind him. "I would feel better about your safety Elizabet if one of us stayed with you tonight."

"Do I get a say."

"Not at this moment Eliz."

"Very well if he has no objections I would most prefer Jason's company for the night."

The whole family looked surprised by that particular choice, save Cass and Alfred, even Bruce allowed a glimmer of shock to show in his eyes, if only for a second. "Jason?" it was both a question to Jason as to his agreement and Bruce wondering aloud at her choice.

"I don't mind staying with her for the night." A traitorous little piece of Jason's mind whispered that it wouldn't mind staying with her for longer than a night.

"Well then I trust that you can escort me to bed Jason." She glittered at him as if the traitorous piece of his mind was whispering to her as well.

"I already had Bruce place your things in the suite adjoining Jason's Elizabet."

"Thanks Gran-da." and without another word she slipped her hand around Jason's arm. "Lead the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fourth chapter is already underway and should be up much much faster since its really just focused on Jason, Elizabet and Cass.
> 
>  
> 
> Iorsh Ischd is pronounced your-esh ee-shad and means heir to the demon in Hebrew, obviously I didn't use the Hebrew characters since most people can't read them.
> 
> Comments are always appreciated and any constructive criticism would be good too.


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